Manipulatives are an effective mathematical tool to support students with disabilities in the area of mathematics. Yet, there remain inconsistencies in terms of which type -- concrete or virtual -- is more effective for students with disabilities working on algebra related content and which type is preferred by students. The researchers used an…

In this study, the authors examined middle school mathematics teachers' perceptions of their instructional practices with students with disabilities (SWDs) during face-to-face instruction before the COVID-19 pandemic and eLearning during the pandemic. A survey explored teachers' use of research-supported practices and the challenges and supports…

Manipulatives offer students with disabilities access and support in classrooms. However, it is important for educators to be aware that concrete manipulatives are not the only option. Teachers serving students identified with a disability in the middle grades may consider selecting virtual manipulatives as supplement, complement, or in lieu of…

Assistive technology supports students with disabilities in a variety of ways, including serving as a means of instruction. Although virtual manipulatives can serve as an assistive technology tool, limited research examines virtual manipulatives in-and-of-themselves to support students with disabilities. This study explored app-based virtual…

Virtual manipulatives are an emerging intervention to support students with disabilities in mathematics. Through a multiple probe across participants design, researchers examined use of an intervention package consisting of a virtual manipulative (i.e., the Two-Color Counter app-based manipulative) and the system of least prompts (SLP) to support…

Mathematics instruction for students with intellectual disabilities and autism is important. However, it is imperative for researchers and practitioners to focus on the maintenance of mathematical concepts and not just acquisition for these students. Through a single-case multiple probe across participants study, researchers explored an…

While mathematics education is key to the post-school outcomes of students with disabilities, it has received less attention in research and practice compared with other aspects of educating this population. Skill maintenance is particularly crucial in mathematics because students build upon prior knowledge across grade levels. They also need to…

Mathematics instruction -- and interventions to support mathematics teaching -- for students with intellectual disability is important yet underexamined. This study explored a graduated instructional sequence referred to as the virtual-representational (VR) as a mathematical intervention. Researchers taught four students with disabilities what…

Mathematics education is an important but underexplored area of research for secondary students with mild intellectual disability. In this multiple probe across behaviors replicated across two participants study, the researchers explored the effectiveness of the virtual-representational-abstract (VRA) instructional sequence to support two…

Algebra is considered by many to be a gateway to higher-level mathematics and eventual economic success yet students with and without disabilities often struggle to develop algebra skills. This study builds on the limited understanding of how virtual manipulatives support students with disabilities in the area of algebra by investigating their use…

The virtual-representational-abstract (VRA) instructional sequence presents as a viable mathematics intervention for students with disabilities, including students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Yet, to date, all research has been conducted face-to-face with students. However, virtual manipulatives provide an opportunity for educators to…

Manipulatives support students with and without disabilities in mathematics. However, as students age, concrete manipulatives can be limiting and potentially not age appropriate (Satsangi, 2015). An alternative is virtual manipulatives, including app-based manipulatives. This study compared the use of app-based manipulatives to concrete…

Although often considered a more advanced area of mathematics, principles of algebra are taught throughout different mathematical concepts, and algebra is often considered gateway mathematical knowledge for more advanced mathematical concepts. For this reason, attention is needed toward making algebraic instruction more accessible to all types of…

In theory, both virtual manipulatives and explicit instruction are viable options to support students with disabilities as they learn mathematics. This study explored the effect of a treatment package--an app-based virtual manipulative (Cuisenaire® Rods) in conjunction with explicit instruction--on students' acquisition and generalization of…

As students progress through school they spend more time reading to obtain information. Reading to learn can be a struggle for any student, but it tends to be a bigger obstacle for students with disabilities. Using text-to-speech applications and extensions is one way to assist students with disabilities who struggle to independently complete…